Rhian

In theory I should have loved Skuld, but it was so potent and cloyingly sweet on me that I had to wash it off after half an hour. Initially the sweetness was palliated by a lovely earthiness (the labdanum?), but sadly this didn't last long enough. There was some honey, but mostly a very strident ylang ylang and musk aroma. I think it might have calmed down after a while, but the first phase was too much for me. I should also mention that this is one powerful scent, and just a dab on my wrists threw off a strong smell that I felt enveloped in at all times.

There was an initial burst of cherry when I put on Vice, but it quickly died down and left me with dusty chocolate with a hint of sweet orange from time to time. It wasn't unpleasant, but it also wasn't something I wanted to wear. I found it hardly threw at all. I don't think chocolate scents like me very much, but then I've always preferred vanilla (in terms of ice cream, anyway ).

Although it smells like pure almond in the bottle, when worn on skin this is an incredibly beautiful amber with hints of musk and spice. It's a dry kind of sweetness; it's not overpowering, heady or foody, but steadily intense. There's a dusky quality to it, probably from the musk. I think I can almost detect the almond and lotus when I take a really deep sniff, but Bastet is so well blended that nothing is really predominant apart from the amber, and perhaps the spice. The throw is good (but not excessive) and I can still smell it quite strongly after several hours. This is possibly my favourite scent of the moment - I'm constantly sniffing my wrist to get just one more hit of its divinely golden aroma. It's just my style of perfume, and I'm so glad I have a big bottle!

Dorian reminds me of a darker, more sinister Antique Lace. It's the sweetest of sweet tea with a hint of vanilla, and then there's a dark undercurrent which I assume is the fougère. It's hard to define, but I think there's definitely something ferny/mossy/green in there. It gives it a quality that I really associate with men's cologne, but it's not dominant enough to make this into a men-only scent. It's heady, and the musk comes out after a while to dim the fougère, but the sweetness remains throughout until that's all there is left. I applied just a smidgen and it threw like anything, so it's not one for slathering. A little goes a long way and lasts a long time (overnight, in my case). I'm not always in the mood for Dorian, as it's very commanding, but I'd still rate it among my favourites.

Hellcat is thick, viscous honey with a subtle nutty base. It's very sweet, but darkly so, and the full warm rounded scent of blended spices that you get from honey mead is very intense. It's also close to the skin, and I don't feel like it's got a huge throw. That's a good thing, because it suffuses - almost smothers, though that's too strong a word - you with its delicious deep aroma. Sultry is the perfect word for it. I smelled almond in the imp and on initial application, but it's not distinctly apparent now. I don't find it at all boozy, despite the mead and rum. (In case it's not apparent from the above review, I love it.)

This scent began as strong magnolia with a hint of spice and heat. After about half an hour it bloomed into a serious case of musk, with the smooth sweetness of the magnolia blended in. I didn't notice the mandarin. It's now sweet, smoky musk, but not very steamy or heady - in fact, it's pleasant and smells well-rounded rather than thick. On me, it's a toned down kind of sexiness, and I really like it. I think I could get away with wearing it during the day, with perhaps a slightly heavier application for a night out (as it doesn't have a huge throw).

I put on a tiny amount of Van Van - and wow, I'm glad I did, because it's powerful stuff! At first it was strong, sweet lemon - like a really tangy lemon cake - and then it started to smell more herbal, like lemongrass. I think I caught a whiff of something gingery in there too. After a few minutes the lemon became stronger and sharper, while retaining its sweetness and the undercurrant of green grass. It's a lovely, fresh, strident scent, but I think it'll be better in my oil burner than on me. It's just not something I would wear - it felt like it was wearing me, in fact.

Initially, Midnight was richly, sweetly floral, and a little overpowering, but it soon calmed down. It's very much like a hot summer evening in a garden - a strong, fairly heady mix of flowers. It's a beautiful, silky blend (I couldn't pick out any individual notes) and has good staying power. Ultimately, it's not quite me, but I enjoyed trying it out.

I don't find Bastet very incensy at all! It's more spicy-warm-honey on me than anything else. I highly recommend it, though -- it's pretty much my favourite BPAL scent of the moment! I wouldn't say it's a skin scent on me (oh, how I wish I smelled like this normally) but it definitely sinks into my skin and feels like it's part of me. I'm wearing it, rather than it wearing me. Bathsheba is lush. That's a good word to describe it. It's surprisingly innocent and light, though, and deliciously sweet. Blood Amber has the same effect as Bastet on me and is absolutely divine. Very warm and cosy. I'm trying to think of other oils that have the Bastet-effect... I like Dragon's Milk and O. Most things with amber and honey have that warm, comforting, feel on me. Antique Lace is very sweet, but not foody -- more sugary, almost like candyfloss but not so sickly. O is quite an intense scent the first time around. I thought I hated it at first, but it ended up really growing on me. I personally found Dragon's Milk to be much less foody, although it did have me wanting to eat my wrist! Alice isn't as warm as some of the others, but it wears very close to my skin. Egg Nog is divine, but since it's limited and very foody, might not be for you. Chiroptera was a surprise, because I expected it to be herby, but it's a delicate sweet floral that's very natural and yummy. Hope this helps!

I was putting off trying Egg Nog because I was afraid it would go the way of Gingerbread Poppet and turn to Play-doh on me (let it be said that the Poppet is my favourite oil to put in the burner, though!). I felt in need of a pick-me-up today and decided to go for it. In the bottle: Smells like Baileys! Creamy, rich alcohol with a touch of spice underneath. I really wanted to taste it, but resisted temptation. On me, wet: The alcohol's quite strong, but delicious. However, every so often it smells just like this (admittedly really nice) sweet medicine my mother used to give me as a child! Now I'm wondering if she spiked it with rum... On me, dry: The medicine smell has completely vanished, thankfully! The alcohol is mostly gone, but occasionally wafts up to my nose. What I'm left with is a creamy, rich, deep spiced egg-and-vanilla that is positively luscious. Oh, I am so happy that this works on me! It's like the highest quality egg nog, made with only the best hand-picked ingredients. I'm in love. The only thing wrong with Egg Nog is that my skin eats it up! This is easily solved by applying more than I usually would, and then I'm surrounded by a yummy warm haze that has really improved my mood. ETA: Just put some of this in the oil burner... it may surpass my love for Gingerbread Poppet as a room scent. It is sinfully, obscenely good!

Kali was a surprise on me. First time I tried it, the wine overpowered me and left me feeling nauseous, but I gave it a second chance, and I'm so glad I did! First off, Kali was strong honeyed wine with a whiff of dry cocoa. It mellows out into a fruity, honeyed floral that's full-bodied, but surprisingly light! The wine stays mostly in the background, and there's an occasional waft of smoke that must be the tobacco. Oddly enough, the bit of Kali I smudged on my sternum is completely different to that on my wrists. It's very red, almost sharp, like berries, with a bit of honey underneath to soften it. Okay, this is really gorgeous. Heady, but light, and with good staying power! I might have to have a bigger bottle at some point in the future.

This is absolutely gorgeous. Lemon and lavender at first sniff, then when I apply it to my skin it's a light floral herby lemon with the strength of the lavender occasionally wafting through. It stays this way for a while, clean and fresh and crisp, and not very sweet, which I like, but not on me so much. However, after about thirty minutes I get delicious, sweet honeysuckle underneath the lemon, which gradually becomes more potent as time goes on. This is the scent of a warm evening, bats overhead (of course!), the smell of sweet grasses and fragrant herbs drifting up to the sky. It's refreshing, feminine, and very more-ish. Even better, it's stayed strong for six hours now. Beth has outdone herself. I must have more! It'll be perfect for summer day-wear.

Oh Voodoo... how I love you! In the vial it smells like a mixture of sweet sweet coke and lime. On me it's a deep (but not as deep as, say, Darkness), sweet, strong mix. I find it hard to pick out all the individual notes, but I'm definitely getting the vanilla, pine, myrrh, patchouli and clove. Occasionally I think I can smell the lime, but if so, it's really light. I feel like I've been outside, cavorting in the woodland with a sweet, spicy incense burning close by. I don't think it's a particularly masculine scent, but then my tastes do run to the strong - however, this would be absolute heaven on a man. The first sentence of the description fits the mood perfectly, I think - and I find it quite a sensual, insistent perfume. It lasts for ages and really wafts! I put it on and an hour later my housemate came into my room and informed me that my room smelled "interesting". He's not used to anything but commercial perfume (which he doesn't like) and didn't dislike the scent at all - but I think he was rather thrown by it! It also scents my hair very nicely. Another one of the "eating-wrist" variety. Definite big bottle.

This is a hard one for me to review... the first time I wore it I was in bed, and didn't get to smell it for very long, but I loved what I did smell! Very intense, dark, yummy gingerbread. The second time I wore it, it turned straight to play-doh, and I didn't wait longer than half-an-hour before washing it off. This is the third time, and I thought I could detect the play-doh, but I'm not so sure! In fact, now I think I can smell clove more than anything, and I like it. But not on me. It's a little bit foody for my liking - however, this will be absolutely perfect for my oil burner, and I can't wait to try it in there, because this scent is genius. Like LiberAmoris above, I think it's just like gingerbread spices without the sweetness. I might try layering this with O to see if it softens it up enough for me to wear it.

In the bottle Sweet, sweet, sweet. Like cherry coke. Or is that strawberry? On me Wet, I can smell something fruity that could possibly be lemon? The musk is quite dominant and I'm getting spikes of something dark and earthy, which I imagine is the teak and/or patchouli. Dry... nngh. This is one of those divine smells that makes me want to eat my wrists because it's so yummy and heavenly and mmmm. It's sweet and the patchouli's gone all powdery, but it's kept from being too dry by the smoky musk and the bright, ripe fruity smell. This is a perfect blend, and it's hard for me to pick out individual notes, but the apple and rose and vanilla seem to have blended to a perfectly fruity cream, and then in the background is an earthy smokiness that I can only assume is a mixture of the rest of the ingredients. I feel delectable, and as though someone should be trying to eat me, I'm just that good. Conclusion I really wouldn't have picked this out for myself ordinarily, but it's addictive, heady yet also sweet, and strong! It's not a quiet scent by any means, which is exactly what I like. I find it very unusual and could imagine it getting many comments, if worn out. It lasts beautifully, wafts well, and is my new favourite.

In the bottle Sharp lemon, an undercurrent of green tea. It smells a little harsh. Wet The sharp lemon is still there... in fact, it's quite strong and bitter at this stage, and is overpowering all other notes. I hope this dries down soon and lets the musk and tea through! Dry Aaaah. So much better. This is, apparently, one of those scents that I wear (as opposed to it wearing me). It's naturally blended with my skin and is like drinking a glass of cold, sweet iced green tea with a sliver of lemon on a fresh summer morning, when there's a good breeze up. Or maybe it's home-brewed lemonade, with plenty of sugar, on the porch, while the wind blows through the trees and you're surrounded by green. It's fresh, invigorating, and I can't wait for summer to come so that I can slather it on! Conclusion I think I need a big bottle of this, but it's probably going to be a toss-up between this and Whitechapel. Having said that, the two are different enough to merit me buying a bottle of each... I'm delighted to find that I can wear citrus scents with no problem, though. I only put on a few little smudges of it, but it's lasted well for a few hours. However, I'd really like to have a big bottle and apply more, because what I am wearing is very subtle and has blended with my skin perfectly (though this is a very good thing). It goes perfectly with the Hemlock soap from Villainess, incidentally.

In the bottle A sweet lemon and lime - I assume the sweetness comes from the musk. This was a gift from the Lab, and I'm not sure what to expect... I don't usually go for anything so decidedly citrus. Wet on skin Oo-er, not sure about this. The lemon is very strong and if I use my imagination a little, it smells a little like something you'd use to clean the bathroom. Every so often, though, the musk pulses through and makes me change my mind completely. I want to smell my wrists more and more as it dries further - definitely a good sign! Dry Ah, that's much better! The lemon has blended beautifully with the musk, creating a creamy citrus that's not too strong or pungent at all. I can easily imagine a suave, perfectly attired gentleman wearing this, or scenting a handkerchief with it. It's a clean, smooth scent that's so polite (to borrow from Magpiedee's description) and charmingly courteous that I'm quite in love with it. A woman could wear this just as well, but I'd really like to slather it on a man (preferably a snappily-dressed clean-shaven not-a-hair-out-of-place connivingly cunning Londoner, because that just seems fitting). Conclusion My preconceptions about lemony fragrances have been completely overturned. This is gorgeous, fresh, and has a hint of wickedness about it that makes it even more interesting. It lasted a few hours before becoming faint (but it didn't disappear entirely). I'll use up my imp, I'm certain, and a big bottle may well have to be bought!

In the bottle I can smell resiny wood. As others have said, it reminds me of old dark church pews. There's a hint of spice, but it's fleeting. Wet on skin After swiping a little on my inner elbows (my wrists are all Whitechapel-y): Egads, this is strong! And it smells of resiny wood still... and is there some spice underneath? I'm not sure. I feel like I've been packed in a wooden crate filled with wood shavings. Dry Any spice that was once there has vanished, leaving me with a very pungent, bitter resin smell that's starting to give me a headache. Even leaving it for an hour hasn't changed anything... I'm starting to think that the pirate lass is not for me. I need to wash it off quick! Conclusion My chemistry really doesn't like Anne Bonny, because the warmth and spiciness I think it needed on me is nowhere to be found! Odd, because the notes all usually work well on me, so I'll try it again in a few days and see if there's any difference.

So far, apart from Snake Oil (which is my staple going-out scent), Lust seems to be a definite winner for me. I wore it to a club last night and I felt hot, and I ended up dancing in a circle with some gorgeous guys who I didn't know at all, but who seemed very appreciative. Maybe it's just that Lust makes me want to pounce on people, or something. I've never had a direct compliment on the way I smelled, but I've only just started wearing BPAL out, so there's time enough for that.

In the bottle: I've found with all my scents so far that the smell in the imp is nothing like the result in skin, and Dragon's Milk didn't stand out too much. Sweet, with a hint of fruit, but nothing special. On skin: I swiped a little on my left wrist and from there, rubbed it on my right. Wow! It smells heady and fruity (while wet, like cherries, though that disappeared quite quickly), like a spiced honey-and-vanilla. Maybe the spice is the Dragon's Blood? I'm not sure what that's meant to smell like, though. It's very sweet, and the vanilla is quite subtle. On my sister, however, the vanilla is more prominent, and the scent is lighter overall. It wafts very nicely, and as soon as I walked in the room my mother could smell it. I'm glad I didn't apply too much. An hour later: This just keeps on changing! The spiciness died down after a while, and the vanilla really came through in a pleasant way. Then, an hour later, the spice was back! One thing I love about this is that the vanilla isn't overpowering at all. After about four hours: It's died down now to a very warm vanilla-and-honey, with the spice definitely taking a backseat. Not as strong as when first applied, but it's still definitely there. Overall: This is a warm, heady, sweet scent that has lasts well (I imagine I'd have to reapply after about 6-7 hours, although I only put a very little bit on) and really merges with the skin rather than sitting on it. As mentioned earlier, it's creamy, delicious, and the hint of spice gives it a subtle, sexy feel. Absolutely gorgeous. I will definitely wear it again.

I hope that you enjoy your well-deserved time away! And thanks for your help with my questions. I always love going 'back home', even if it's not quite so far for me as it is for you...